A past employee of former Easton real estate speculator George Switlyk has now filed suit against his law firm to recover more than $21,000 the company was supposed to be holding to settle her claim against Switlyk. Alicja Janson of Newtown says Cozen & O'Connor, which maintains an office at 1900 Market St., Philadelphia, breached its fiduciary duty to her and committed fraud when it released all but $3,206 from the escrow account it was supposed to be holding in her interest. Janson had sued Switlyk and his company, Lloyd's Acceptance Corp.

South Whitehall Township commissioners on Wednesday considered a new system of collecting fees and placing them into escrow accounts for several types of development applications. Up to now, the township has covered additional costs for things such as consulting fees or administrative time through the general fund before seeking reimbursement from applicants. On Wednesday, the board weighed a staff proposal that would require applicants to post those funds up-front in escrow, from which the township could draw on as needed.

Bath Borough Council approved a new rate schedule of fees for review of plans by the planning commission. The rates went into effect immediately. For a feasibility or sketch plan, the rates are $100 for a plan with from 1 to 3 lots; $250 for a plan with 4 to 40 lots; $300 for a plan with 41 and more lots. The rate for industrial, commercial and institutional subdivisions is $250. For changes in existing lot lines, the fee is $100 at the feasibility phase. There will be no charge for the preliminary and finalstages.

Bethlehem City Council President Eric Evans on Monday called for more teeth in a watchdog ordinance directed at city spending. Evans proposed fining city officials who violate the ordinance, which requires that council approve payment of bills from certain accounts. He proposed the penalties in response to a recent $900,000 transfer from the so-called treasurer's escrow account to cover the first payroll of the year. City officials didn't mention the need for a transfer at the first council meeting of the year.

A crumbling and sinking road in the Milford Square Estates development in Milford Township has led to the dismissal of Milford's long-time engineer. After 22 years of service as Milford's engineer, G. Edwin Pidcock of Allentown was dropped by Milford supervisors a month ago. Officials claimed they had developed a better working relationship with Peter Andersen, Pidcock's replacement. At last night's meeting, Milford officials were still smarting over a $900 engineering bill from Pidcock in the development's sinking road.

Rachel Fine was slightly alarmed, but not panicked, in November when the Northern Lehigh School District said her taxes were overdue. The Fines' mortgage company was supposed to pay the taxes from their escrow account. She and her husband, Chris, figured there'd been an error and it would be fixed. The mortgage company, American Home Mortgage Servicing Inc., promised the bill would be paid by the end of the year, and it would cover the late fee. It didn't happen. The problem got worse before it got solved, and the taxes didn't get paid until Wednesday.

Former collector of delinquent taxes Carolyn Kelsall-Whitney, ordered to put $200 of her weekly paycheck into an escrow account as restitution for embezzled funds, has lost her job. But Chief Deputy District Attorney C. Theodore Fritsch said yesterday there is no reason at this time to take any action against Kelsall-Whitney, who was convicted in June of embezzling about $700,000 from the Quakertown and Palisades school districts. She continues to make regular payments to the escrow account, Fritsch said, and she reports regularly to her probation office.

A payment mix-up between a Macungie man and the Muhlenberg School District may leave an uncertain future for the Wilson G. Sarig School in Berks County. Robert J. Kayes, who represents the Sarig Park Association, which agreed to buy the school to convert it into 30 apartment units, said the required $100,000 deposit was made to the school district solicitor's office before the 4 p.m. deadline Thursday. However, Dr. James E. Morrell, schooldistrict superintendent, said the Allentown man was supposed to have put his payment into an escrow account specified in the purchase agreement in May. Raymond Schlegel, the district solicitor, was on vacation this week and could not be contacted.

State lawmakers last night sent to Gov. Tom Ridge a bill that would require tenants to place rent payments in a county-administered escrow account if they challenge eviction rulings. Bill sponsor Rep. Charles W. Dent, R-132nd District, called the measure a legislative answer to deadbeat tenants who use the legal system to stick landlords for months of rent. Under the bill, if a tenant appeals to a county court the eviction ruling of a district justice, he must place monthly rent checks into an escrow account administered by the county prothonotary.

Capping nearly a month of uncertainty for Palmer residents threatened with mechanics' liens in a construction dispute, township supervisors say they're close to brokering a deal between the developer and subcontractor. Board Chairman David Colver said escrow held in a township account would be used to pay the $150,000 owed to Montgomery County contractor Allan A. Meyers, who threatened to file $1,000 liens against 150 homes in the Fox Run Estates neighborhood after saying developer Atlantic Van Buren failed to pay its bill.

Montgomery County attorney David Manilla says he can live off about $17,000 a month. A Bucks County judge says Manilla will have to make do with $10,000 while he awaits trial in the shooting death of Bucks County hunter Barry Groh. Judge Robert Mellon, in his latest ruling in the wrongful death lawsuit filed against Manilla, ordered Friday that all of the Worcester attorney's money be placed in a court-supervised bank account. Manilla may get a $10,000 monthly allowance. If he wants more, he'll have to petition the court.

A week after Bethlehem's business administrator was reprimanded for misrepresenting city spending in a memo, Bethlehem City Council supported an ordinance that requires the city to provide regular financial reports to promote "better transparency." While City Council receives some of that information now, the ordinance would ensure that future administrations prepare reports about city spending, bills that are due and host fees from the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem. Councilman Eric Evans said those reports will inform council members earlier of the city's cash flow problems.

By Tom De Martini, Special to The Morning Call - Freelance | January 9, 2010

The Easton Area School Board added approximately $1.25 million to its coffers Thursday night by voting to terminate an interest rate "swap" agreement originally instituted three years ago. The success of this particular swap, according to Ken Phillips of RBC Capital Management, helped garner the school district more than $4 million over the life of the investment since its 2006 inception. "Interest rate swaps have turned out bad for a lot of school districts and people, because the market turned against them," Phillips told the board.

By a unanimous vote Thursday, Forks Township supervisors authorized two lawsuits against developer Gary Strausser to cancel two incomplete phases of the Riverview Estates development and to replenish unpaid escrow accounts. The action comes after Strausser did not respond to two letters sent Sept. 18 seeking $241,000 in escrow money and requesting the developer agree to other requirements as part of a deadline extension for his plans. Last week, Strausser's attorney, Patrick Campbell of Philadelphia, said the developer considered the requests "retaliation" for a recent lawsuit and would not agree to any payments or extensions.

An attorney for developer Gary Strausser said Friday that his client will not replenish escrow accounts in Forks Township and called the supervisors' request "retaliation" for a recent lawsuit. Patrick Campbell of Philadelphia said Strausser would not provide in excess of $250,000 in escrow money requested last week by the township for incomplete portions of the Riverview Estates development. Township officials say Strausser missed the planning deadline in 2006 for those incomplete portions.

By Tom De Martini SPECIAL TO THE MORNING CALL - Freelance | July 30, 2009

Palmer Township supervisors Tuesday quelled an ongoing dispute among residents of Fox Run Estates, its developer and a Montgomery Township subcontractor by announcing a deal to pay the subcontractor. Supervisors approved a resolution that creates an $810,000 township escrow account in part to pay subcontractor Allan A . Myers $148,000 for work performed in the Fox Run neighborhood. The subcontractor threatened to place $1,000 mechanic's liens against the properties of 150 Fox Run residents last month, setting off a firestorm of protest from angry homeowners.

State lawmakers Tuesday night sent to Gov. Tom Ridge a bill that would require tenants to place rent payments in a county-administered escrow account if they challenge eviction rulings. Bill sponsor Rep. Charles W. Dent, R-132nd District, called the measure a legislative answer to deadbeat tenants who use the legal system to stick landlords for months of rent. Under the bill, if a tenant appeals to a county court the eviction ruling of a district justice, he must place monthly rent checks into an escrow account administered by the county prothonotary.

First, Bethlehem City Council stopped the city from dipping into the sewer revenue when the city's accounts were too low to cover the bills. Then, council made it more difficult for the administration to raid the water revenue when the money got tight. Now, Councilman Joseph Leeson wants to put a check on another pool of money -- the treasurer's escrow. He's proposing an ordinance that would require City Council's approval every time the city borrows money from that account, which consists of grants and other income earmarked for specific expenses.

Capping nearly a month of uncertainty for Palmer residents threatened with mechanics' liens in a construction dispute, township supervisors say they're close to brokering a deal between the developer and subcontractor. Board Chairman David Colver said escrow held in a township account would be used to pay the $150,000 owed to Montgomery County contractor Allan A. Meyers, who threatened to file $1,000 liens against 150 homes in the Fox Run Estates neighborhood after saying developer Atlantic Van Buren failed to pay its bill.

Rachel Fine was slightly alarmed, but not panicked, in November when the Northern Lehigh School District said her taxes were overdue. The Fines' mortgage company was supposed to pay the taxes from their escrow account. She and her husband, Chris, figured there'd been an error and it would be fixed. The mortgage company, American Home Mortgage Servicing Inc., promised the bill would be paid by the end of the year, and it would cover the late fee. It didn't happen. The problem got worse before it got solved, and the taxes didn't get paid until Wednesday.